Itachi's Robe
by nibbler747
Summary: The tale of a life long friendship and the real reason Itachi kept one hand in his robe.


_Be still. Do not breathe. Keep your chakra cloaked. Do not move a single muscle. They must not know that you are there._

Itachi stayed hidden high in a tree watching his targets under the cover of the night. The fellow members of his team were hidden at three strategic locations in the forest. This was his first mission as Anbu captain, and he could not afford for anything to go wrong. He leaned his back against the large knotted oak from high above watching three men speaking nearby. Though they kept their chakra cloaked, Itachi could tell that they were Shinobi through and through. Vigilantes from the Land of Water, determined for vengeance from wrongs of the past war.

Silently he crouched down, it was almost time to make his move. He turned his head, startled to see a pair of hazel eyes staring back at him on the neighbouring tree. He stumbled backwards and fell back on his butt. How had he not sensed this right in front of him? He quickly looked back down at the three men, thankfully they had not noticed his sudden movement.

He stared back at the hazel eyes watching him. They looked at him and then looked to the distance on the ground to the northwest of him to a dense thicket of trees hidden by the shadows. Itachi activated his sharingan and looked at the thicket. Hidden on the ground under a pile of leaves was a fourth man. A fourth water shinobi that they had not known about. His presence would completely change his strategy of attack.

He turned back to the hazel eyes to see them gone. As quickly as it had appeared, they had vanished into the night.

What he didn't know at the time was it was the beginning of a life long friendship.

* * *

Shisui threw his kunai at the target on the tree across the babbling creek. He looked at Itachi and laughed. He tossed his anbu mask to the side, and sat beside him on the soft grass.

"Who is your friend there? I don't know man, this association here won't exactly strike fear in the hearts of our enemies."

Itachi was sitting on the bank of the brook, his anbu mask beside him, gently stroking a small black kitten between its bright hazel eyes. It had curled up against him and was purring contentedly.

"This little one might be responsible for saving all of our lives the other night. She alerted me to the hidden shinobi in the thickets. Ever since that night, she's been following me around."

Shisui smiled and gave her ears a scratch. "She is pretty cute. Have you given her a name?"

Itachi gazed at her. "I've been thinking about that. I think the name Karasu suits her don't you think?"

He laughed. "Well if you think naming a cat after a bird is a good idea then it's fine. But you might be asking for trouble. Especially with your affinity for crows. She might be a little hunter." He gently tapped her nose.

"She's graceful and smart like a raven. The name feels right to me."

Shisui ran his hand through his curly hair. "If you say so man. Well, Anbu is not all kittens and rainbows, I think it's time we get back to training."

Itachi nodded. He had taken a long enough break. He gently set the black kitten down and gave it a little scratch under her chin. "Stay safe little one. Be off." The kitten scampered back into the forest. He turned to Shisui.

"Let's get to work."

* * *

Itachi used his last bit of strength to crawl into a rocky cave outside the limits of the Uchiha Clan lands. He raised his bruised hands to rub his eyes only to see that they were completely stained with blood. He pulled himself further into the cave and leaned against the chilly walls of the cave that were wet with condensation. He was at his limit….he didn't know if he could continue. He put his hands against the wet stone, and the dried blood seemed to come to life again. Was this his own blood or the blood his clan? There was no way of knowing. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore.

He leaned over and started vomiting uncontrollably. When he had finished, he collapsed on the ground. His body started trembling in shock. He lay like that, barely breathing, shivering for hours.

He felt a light tap on arm. He turned to see the familiar eyes of Karasu staring back at him. She had grown so much, and now was a beautiful adult cat with a glossy black coat. Her hazel eyes seemed to shine with wisdom. Had she come to judge him? He must be on the brink of insanity.

"Get away Karasu. I'm a monster" he whispered, his vocal chords stiff and raw.

Karasu responded by sitting down beside his arm and started the familiar hum he knew by heart.

"I mean it. I don't deserve comfort, I only deserve hate. Get away from me. I am not worth knowing anymore."

Karasu spun around and then lay down so that she was curled up beside his arm. It provided a warmth that he so desperately needed. It was a brush of something familiar, the warmth of his former life that he could never have again. He couldn't think anymore, and within moments he passed out.

* * *

He opened to his eyes to the blinding to light that was streaming through the entrance of the cave. Had he been asleep for hours, for days? He looked down at his arm which was now vacant of the little purring machine. She must have finally left. Animals have a good sense of character. She must have realized that he was dangerous. He sighed. He was secretly hoping she would stay.

He pulled up his aching body and was startled at what lay beside his feet. There was not one, not two, but three dead crows were lined up. Was this an omen? A sign of the punishment that lay ahead for his sins? The way they were lined up, it almost presented as a gift.

He pulled a kunai from the holder on his leg and activated his aching sharingan. He scanned the area, and saw a small form not too far away from him. It was small, not the size of a human but the size of a -

Karasu lay near the mouth of the cave whimpering. Her front leg was bent in an unnatural direction, and her fur on her leg was shiny with blood. Itachi gently picked her up, and brought her back into the cave.

"What happened to you little Karasu?" Itachi whispered as he examined her leg. It had been badly broken. He noticed that there were bits of feather stuck to the wound. "Did you finally mess with a bird that you couldn't handle? Were all these crows your hunts?"

Karasu looked at Itachi with tear filled eyes. She was quite the little hunter as Shisui had guessed so many years ago. She was in so much pain, he needed to do something to help her.

Itachi lay her down and went outside of the cave. He shielded his eyes as the bright light was blinding him. He found a strong straight stick and brought it back. He tied a splint to the cat, as she writhed in pain but did not fight him. She understood that he was trying to help her.

She was essentially helpless now. Her leg would hopefully heal, but it probably would never be the same. In the state she was in now, she would be unable to hunt and eat, making her a target for larger animals and birds of prey. Her days were numbered.

When he had climbed into the cave, he was thinking that he would never leave it again. He had told Sasuke to seek him out, but he felt destroyed. He did not think he could complete his mission. If he died there his pain would finally end. If he died though, it would mean that Karasu would also perish. After yesterday, he could not handle that. He could not have one more innocent death weigh down on him. He would need to go on - at least until Karasu got better. He stroked the cat and they both started to calm immediately. Perhaps Karasu was meant to come to help him accomplish his mission.

"I guess you are coming with me then. At least for now." He opened his bag and took out a t-shirt and robe. He ripped the t-shirt, and made it into makeshift sling and placed it on his own shoulder. Carefully he picked up Karasu being careful of her leg and gently placed her in the sling. He then put his robe on. Nobody would be able to tell there was a cat in there upon sight.

"You're my partner now little one. Are you ok with that?"

The cat nuzzled in close and closed its eyes in response. She must have been exhausted from this ordeal. Her purring was answer enough.

* * *

Itachi and Karasu remained partners as the years progressed. Her leg healed, but she always walked with a limp. Itachi kept her hidden in his robe, and it was her preferred spot. She was with him as he had joined the Akatsuki, and went on missions with him and his various partners over the years. He managed to keep her hidden from them, although he had received many curious stares on why he always had one hand free and one hidden in his robe. They never asked him though, as most were wary of the Sharingan user with his quiet nature and his prowess with genjutsu.

After many years, at long last, they made their way to the Uchiha hideout. He sat down on the large stone chair in the main hall and stretched his legs out.

He opened his robe to see his cat contentedly leaning against his chest. She had grown older and now had a few white hairs around her chin and eyes. He stroked her under her chin.

"It's time to say goodbye old friend." He gently removed her from his robe and set her on his lap. She looked at him curiously.

"We've been through a lot haven't we? You and I? You with your leg, and me with my bad eyes and lungs." He laughed. " I couldn't have asked for a better friend, you know? You saved my life. Not once but twice." He leaned forward, and she head butted his forehead.

"I know we've been together all these years, but it I want you to leave. This is not a battle I want you to see. I would ask one thing of you though."

The cat stared back at him.

He reached in his bag and pulled out an old stuffy of Sasuke's. He put it under the cat's nose who sniffed it curiously.

"This is my brothers. He is going to need a friend. If you find him, he will treat you well. He's always had an affinity for cats. If he seems sullen, ignore it. That's just his way. Really that's my fault….he wasn't always that way" he said sadly.

He brought his legs down, and then set the cat down by his feet.

"Goodbye friend. Thank-you for bringing me joy in this world."

The black cat rubbed against Itachi's leg, and then ran out of the hideout. Itachi closed his eyes. It was time. He was finally ready.

* * *

Sasuke sat and leaned against the old tree to rest, and finally get a bite to eat. He reached in his bag to retrieve the rice balls he had purchased in the nearby town earlier in the day. As he unwrapped the rice ball he felt a pair of eyes on him.

"Hello there."


End file.
